The Ties That Bind
by chiselite
Summary: [Alternate Ending] After the final battle with Ragyo drags the two sisters back to the Kiryuin manor, Ryuko and Satsuki defeats Kiryuin Ragyo. While the two recover and bond, the Original Life Fiber stirs once again, ambushing the pair of sisters. With Satsuki injured, how will the Ryuko cope with a situation where only despair is in sight?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Synchronised Decapitation Mode!"

The three words rang throughout the Kiryuin estate. The dual roars emanating from the Kiryuin Grand Bath quickly began to harmonise Ryuko and Satsuki's scissor blades were swung in motion.

As the sisters swung their blades with all their might, in the back of their minds, all they would do is laugh. Separated at birth, polar opposites yet two sides of the same coin. The red and purple scissor blades reflected the sisters perfectly from their personal aspects, their past and their destiny. Just at the scissor blades were destined to reunite and defeat the life fibers, she was also reunited with the little sister who she thought was dead with the two coming together to save the fate of mankind.

Satsuki didn't notice the smile that crept onto her expression from her realisation that there would be something she could look forward to once everything was over; and that was treasure she would never let go of.

The two scissor blades finally connected with their target, their paths almost overlapping. Ragyo's head fell with no trace of tissue and fiber left uncut. As blood poured out from the now headless neck, cracks and scarring began to adorn the walls of the Kiryuin Grand Bath following the path of the blades, destroying the grand pillars decorating the bath.

Moments passed without either sister moving, waiting for some macabre reprise. As another minute passing without change, the two fell to their knees, finally allowing themselves to display their exhaustion and also their relief. Their heavy pants and breathes for air doubled as sighs of relief at the realisation of Ragyo's permanent death.

"Finally, it is done." Satsuki managed to say between gasps. Ryuko nodded in reply.

"Heh, what's wrong Satsuki? Tired already?" Ryuko called out, maintaining her bravado in front of her long-time rival.

Satsuki turned her head to face away from the short haired girl to hide her smile, "I'll admit it Matoi. I am tired. My shoulders sore from carrying you throughout that fight."

Ryuko let out a defiant laugh. Using her scissor blade as a crutch, she slowly made her way to the taller of the two. "And here I thought you weren't smart enough to steal my line."

Having sensed her sister looming over her right, the white-clad girl began to stand only to falter. Seeing Satsuki lose her balance, the looming girl moved to catch her. Holding onto her red scissor blade with her right hand for support, Ryuko caught Satsuki's right arm with her left. With a nimble crouch and one swift motion of her arm, the younger girl was able to sling Satsuki's arm around her neck. The motion had awkwardly brought the two closer to each other, forcing Satsuki to lean against Ryuko for support.

With her arm wrapped around her neck, Ryuko could feel the fatigue Satsuki had been hiding with her own bravado. The lack of tension in the elder girl's muscles as she struggled to support herself told her everything; that Satsuki was just only human and had been pushing past her limits.

"Thanks though," Ryuko said softly, ending her bravado and conceding her next insult.

Satsuki turned to face the girl that had just spoken only to be surprised at Ryuko's unusually soft expression. She had only known the red-streaked girl to be brash, crude and defiant. Satsuki would never admit it but seeing Ryuko smile had tugged her heartstrings. Although her mind was resolute to not admitting anything, her body displayed more honesty as a blush crept up on Satsuki's face.

"_If this is what it is like to have younger siblings than I definitely have to get stronger,_" thought Satsuki as she smiled back. With some of her strength returning, Satsuki repositioned herself to stand before moving her right arm up to top of Ryuko's head and ruffling it. Ryuko quickly withdrew herself from the half-embrace to escape the child-like treatment.

"H-hey! What'd think you're doing?!" Ryuko barked back red faced and arguably mad from the unfamiliar form of skinship. All Satsuki could do in reply was let out a short dignified chuckle.

The light hearted moment between the two did not last long. A sudden, overarching feeling of dread and unease began to wash over Satsuki, not unfamiliar to the feeling when COVERS had revealed themselves at Honnouji Academy. Her body stiffened and her expression turned stone cold.

"Satsuki, what's wrong?" asked Ryuko, concerned about the sudden change in mood.

"Ready yourself Ryuko. Something is coming," replied Satsuki as she brought up her scissor blade to move into a defensive stance.

As Ryuko did the same, both girls began to survey their surroundings, making sure to absorb every detail in order to predict the next attack. As they stood, they could hear a faint noise ahead of them. In an instant, thin, red life fiber tendrils pierced through the walls of the Grand Bath, filling the room like spider's web. The two sisters jumped back reflexively, swinging their blades to deflect any tendrils that threatened to pierce them.

"Don't let your guard down yet Matoi," Satsuki warned as the two girls landed. The two then began to watch a more terrifying scene unfold as more tendrils pierced through the wall. Instead of being directed the guarding pair, the thin tendrils focused on piercing Ragyo's decapitated body. The pair of sisters watched on in morbid curiosity as Ragyo's body began to twitch and then contort as if it were a poorly strung puppet. Soon, writhing bulges began to appear along the once inanimate corpse.

"What the hell is going on?" Ryuko asked out aloud. Out of the corner of her vision, she could see a look of disgust on Satsuki's face.

"I don't know but if I could hazard a guess, it could be breaking down organic life forms to provide the Original Life Fibre energy. It might be desperate. We must hurry," Satsuki responded.

Without a moment's notice, thicker life fiber tendrils violently erupted from Ragyo's abdomen, sending her limbs flailing wildly. Ryuko reacted first with a quick jump backwards, parrying and slicing the thick threads which attempted to leech her life blood. On the other hand, the sense of dread that Satsuki had buried deep earlier had resurfaced as she realised she couldn't move from the thick threads which homed in on her.

Time seemed to slow down for Satsuki as panic began to set in. As her eyes darted to left and right to find a way to move and parry the oncoming attacks, a small area of seemingly empty space had stuck out. It wasn't a way out of the rut she was in but thin blue glint could be seen contrasting against the backdrop of the red life fibers approaching; a mind stitching string. Unknowingly planted and activating on sheer luck, Satsuki's already worn mind began to feel crushed.

In another unperceivable instant, a call rang in her ears, "Satsuki!"

Ryuko's call had caused the white-clad maiden to refocus. Using all of her remaining strength, Satsuki began to move against the strings. Pain wracked her body as if she had been struck by lightning over and over. With a loud cry, she had endured it all, finally committing mental treason. Forcing her sword arm as high as she could, Satsuki performed a reserve, diagonal swing with all the strength as she could muster. The weak downward stroke of her scissor blade was enough to cut through the blue thread responsible for her paralysis. Free of the mind stitching, Satsuki made the best of what time she had left to react swung her scissor blade counter-clockwise across her body.

Ryuko turned towards her face the other girl after having called out to her earlier. Her face blanched as she saw the remaining thick threads Satsuki had missed drive their way through her arms and legs. With rage and desperation fuelling her movements, Ryuko dashed towards her newfound companion. Using impeccable finesse, Ryuko swung her red scissor blade in several arcs as she landed before Satsuki, simultaneously cutting all of the life fiber threads pinning down her down as well as any other threads approaching.

Ryuko quickly grabbed a hold of the taller girl and began ripping out the three life fiber threads which had speared her limbs. "Satsuki, can you hear me? Satsuki?!"

"Ryu…ko…" Satsuki weakly uttered. Slightly relieved at the sound of her sister's voice, Ryuko continued.

"Satsuki, I know it's a big ask but can you move?" Ryuko immediately regretted asking the question as it left her bound. Just like before, she could feel already feel the older girl's lack of strength. The only purpose that question had served was to waste time. Deciding not to waste anymore, Ryuko reversed the grip on her scissor blade and scooped Satsuki into her arms and ran.

Satsuki lay powerless in Ryuko's arms as she ran through the estate halls and dodged threads whenever she could. As the sharp, penetrating threads whizzed past, the Kiryuin could feel her saviour stagger as their glancing blows cut into her skin. Half dead as she may be, she could easily see the end result if Ryuko continued the way she did. Her pace was too slow to outrun the unrelenting network of threads behind her and she was too encumbered to move nimbly enough to dodge, let alone fight back. Swallowing up the sadness which began to well up within her, Satsuki spoke.

"Leave me. Run…" Satsuki commanded with what little resolve she had left.

Ryuko didn't bother to look down at Satsuki. "If you still have the strength to talk then save it for when we get out of here."

"Save your bravado. I'm not blind. If you leave me, you can make it out," Satsuki retorted weakly.

"Can it Kiryuin. I'm not one of your Devas, you don't own me," the younger sibling immediately fired back.

"Ryuko…please…" Satsuki murmured once more.

"No means no. Just shut up already," came Ryuko's frustrated reply.

Ryuko the rounded the next corner and entered the first door she saw in an attempt to hide from the pursuing life fibers. Setting Satsuki down, Ryuko turned to face the door, readying herself for the next attack.

"Imouto…" said Satsuki softly as she placed her hand on the smaller girl's shoulder. "Live…"

With her eyes becoming damp, Ryuko turned to face Satsuki to see her mirroring expression. As she leant in to comfort her newly found sister, Ryuko suddenly felt herself pushed to the side by Satsuki. The mixture of exhaustion, sadness and desperation had sent her into a daze and created a moment of weakness. By the time she was able to collect herself; there was nothing she could do. All Ryuko could do was watch as her sister stood to push her out of the way as a thick life fiber tendril slipped past her before piercing Satsuki's stomach.

Coughing up blood, the long haired girl turned to face Ryuko with solemn eyes. "Sorry...Ryu-…" was all she could say before another thread pierced her solar plexus and another impaling her through the chest.

Ryuko's eyes widened in shock, her mouth gaping in disbelief. She couldn't believe it. She didn't want to believe it. They were so close. The life fibers were almost defeated and there was only one last task left. Ryuko could only ask herself how a sure victory could turn so bittersweet.

Ryuko didn't think anymore and swung her scissor blade on reflex and intuition alone, severing the oncoming life fiber tendrils coming after her through the wall as well as the ones still attached to Satsuki. Rising to her feet, Ryuko let out her swelling rage and despair with a scream, caring not as her body became engulfed in a bright light.

Author's Notes:

This is my first fanfic in quite a long while. I've only written one other fic for a completely different series a few years back and I apologise to anyone who had hopes for me writing more fics based on FiM.

I can't say it's good to be back writing. Honestly, I'm tired as hell pumping out a storyboard and a chapter itself before the next episode comes out which is a complete fanfic canon wrecker. Anyway, I hope you readers enjoy this chapter.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Family. It was something which drove Ryuko whether she wanted to admit it or not. In the beginning, back when life had some semblance of normality, things were simple. Back she was younger, all she had to do was deal with the loneliness and isolation. When he left her, the feelings of yearning left Ryuko quickly as weeks passed without even a word from her father; verbal or written. The frustration, the spite and the anger directed at her father was something that she didn't let go of and had begun to take its toll. The resulting alienation and ostracism only served to make Ryuko headstrong, stubborn and guarded; although it did nothing to quell her pent up feelings.

When Isshin wished to meet with her, it was as if the feelings of resentment were washed away, cleansed by a naive, juvenile light of hope of another chance to start over; a light of hope which was snuffed as she saw her father dying before her. She remembered her father's final words as she decided to fight in his place. Embracing the cruel fate her father spoke of, Ryuko never expected to know what it would be like to be part of a family until Mako entered her life, let alone even dream that her most reviled rival was actually her older sister. Having felt and fought for the warmth of a family for the first time in her life courtesy of the Mankanshoku, Ryuko was not ready to fully comprehend nor accept the severity of her father's dying words.

As the final life fiber thread drove its way through Satsuki's chest, the mixture of anger, fear, regret and desperation created the perfect storm within the smaller girl heart, spurring her into action. Satsuki was all Ryuko could think about as she moved, cutting tendril after tendril. She had hated Satsuki when they first met, from her high and might attitude down to her thick eyebrows. The revelation of the fact that they were sisters was laughable to Ryuko. Her sister was her complete opposite right down to the core as if it were part of a bad joke. Even if the life fibers were defeated, it wasn't like they could pick up where things left off and act like normal siblings. It would take a miracle before the two could even start to grow closer.

Now though, it had seemed that even the slim chance of a miracle had been stolen from her by the life fibers, just like her chance of living a normal life with a normal family. It wasn't fair. Ryuko did not expect fate to be this cruel even though she knew what to expect. As the familiar, pent up feeling rose up to her throat, the red-streaked girl did what she did when she was younger. She let out an angry cry, declaring her desire for revenge.

Lost in the raging torrent of emotions, Ryuko didn't notice the light engulfing her body until it was too late. She turned around, expecting to see the next red adorned enemy only to be blinded. All she could see was Satsuki's silhouette and the contrasting red from her wounds before she was blown back from the sheer pressure of the three quick blasts of light that ensued. Half blind and still reeling from the recent turn of events, the black garbed fighter could not help but brace herself as she sailed through the air, crashing and breaking through wall after wall across the Kiryuin estate. For every wall, pillar and door that she crashed through, whatever remaining structure that she could see in front of her would immediately break apart, crumble from the shock front trailing her.

It wasn't long until Ryuko felt her body drop, having gone through six walls. As she planted her feet as best as she could onto the floor, inertia sent her reeling back further, only coming to a stop after ungracefully skittering against the floor for another fifteen metres.

"Are you alright Ryuko?" Senketsu asked with urgency in his voice as his partner stood up raggedly, clutching her scissor blade for support.

"What the hell was that…" came the girl's growl, deflecting her Kamui's question. Consolidating her strength with her anger, Ryuko began to make her way over the newfound rubble and debris, towards her next enemy.

With nearly half of the Kiryuin manor obliterated, the lone girl could clearly see where she needed to go, eying the now dimmer beacon of light. As angry and cold as her presence exuded, Ryuko couldn't help but feel slightly nervous. The attack she had endured was not typical of that of life fibers in strength and certainly in appearance, having witness what had happened to Ragyo's corpse. At the sudden realisation at that thought, Ryuko's broke into a sprint with only one thought in her mind, '_Satsuki deserves a proper burial.'_

As Ryuko approached the dimming beacon of light, she readied her scissor blade for her next attack. It wasn't long until she could see the remnants of the room she had previously been hiding in. With a few more steps, she could see a silhouette of a person standing slightly bent over, a sight which perplexed her. When she had severed all the threads that attacked them, she was sure that she had cut the ones which pierced and held Satsuki upright. Now that Ryuko had thought about it, she couldn't see any trace of life fibers nearby.

The semi-red haired girl slowed down to a walk, exercising more caution at her now unfamiliar surroundings. Closing the gap between her and her sister, the intensity of the light began to wane more and more. As the light became less blinding, an expression of shock made its way on Ryuko and Senketsu's face at the sight of the last Kiryuin. Satsuki's arms were crossed, clutching her Kamui's eyed pauldrons on opposite shoulders. Shock turned into hopeful determination as Ryuko began to hear her sister's laboured breaths. While it was a precursor to death, pain was also a sign of life.

"Satsuki," Ryuko yelled across the distance. "Satsuki!"

"Keep your distance Ryuko. Something's not right," Senketsu warned her companion.

"Are you kidding?" Ryuko replied, ready to ignore her Kamui's warning. Throwing caution out the window, the girl took several more steps forward, inching closer to the girl in front of her. Looking closer, she could see Junketsu writhing uncontrollably, tightening itself against her sister's skin. The sight of the white Kamui beginning to contort and enter her chest wound told her everything she needed to know. "She'll be taken over! We have to get her free. It'll be like last time, remember?"

Senketsu remembered what had happened on the Naked Soul all too well. It was something which he did not want anyone to go through ever again. Nevertheless, he couldn't shake the feeling that not everything was as it seemed. "I remember all too well Ryuko but now is not the time to put your life in unnecessary danger! You are the last hope for man-"

"I'm not the last!" Ryuko barked back defiantly as she looked down to her partner. Hearing Satsuki's continued cries and gasps of pain, she continued more solemnly, "As long as she breathes, she'll come back… I'll bring her back…"

The conversation between the girl and her Kamui was cut short as they noticed the light had fully dissipated. Looking up, they heard Satsuki's laboured breaths ceased as her grip around her pauldrons loosened. As she began to stand upright, the protruding shoulders of housing the eyes of Junketsu, as well as the framing chest brace, began to lose rigidity before melting into a thin film against her skin giving her a near naked appearance. Thick blue lines began to trace and mark the Kiryuin's body in a pattern not unlike the ones found when Junketsu was worn by her. As the blue outlines finished forming along Satsuki's body, fabric and straps began to take form wrapping tightly to clothe her limbs and nether region. The chest brace and pauldrons that had melted away reformed, seemingly growing from out of her skin, in a more rounded shape. The remainder of the long haired girl's body was covered in a thin transparent fabric which glistened with an arrowed texture in the right light. Satsuki's new slimline armour followed her contours more closely with Junketsu's eyes now positioned in the centre of her shoulders. It looked less imposing than before, lacking sharper edges however, it's alien-like features had made it all the more unsettling.

"W-what the hell just happened?" Ryuko asked aloud, suddenly overcome with nervousness. Senketsu remained speechless with neither of them knowing what had just occurred. The partial redhead felt a deep sense of unease as she saw Satsuki suddenly turn look at her, finally understanding the reasoning behind her partner's earlier warning.

"Ryuko! Watch out!" Senketsu's called out just too late. Before his wearer could even comprehend the meeting of his outburst, the revived Satsuki had closed the distance between them with her fist cocked back. Ryuko and Senketsu were utterly helpless as they took her feral blow to the stomach, sending them flying away, scissor blade in hand, for the second time. Pain continued to radiate from her core even as she sailed through the air. The blunt force had spread up her body up to her diaphragm, leaving her half winded as she collided with the ground again.

"Sa…ski…" Ryuko choked out in between her heavy gasps for air. Using her red scissor blade to hoist herself up, she only just noticed a single white foot on the ground in front of her. Using her other hand she braced her blade along its flat side in anticipation for what was to come. "What th-" were the only words which left the winded girl's mouth in disbelief as Satsuki's kick connected with her guard. Another painful grunt left Ryuko's mouth as the kick wrenched the red scissor blade from her grip, sending it skittering into the distance. Without pause, she suddenly felt a foreign fist collide with her cheek before feeling another to her ribs. Blow after blow had slipped through her guard, landing unusually hard and clean.

"_Keh. Hard, fast and ultra precise…that's just like her,_" thought Ryuko as she continued to be pummelled. Despite the beating she had been taking, she couldn't help but smile inwardly. "_Whatever happened to her, she's a freakin' beast."_

As strong as Satsuki had become, nothing had stopped Ryuko from adapting to the fight. With greater focus on her footwork, fewer blows began to slip through her defence and when they did, the hits weren't as solid. It wasn't long until Ryuko was confident to retaliate with a strike of her own. As Satsuki threw a right that the black garbed girl had anticipated, she found her right arm caught by her opponent's right hand. With a quick yank, she was pulled towards her sister with her face speeding towards the opposing left punch.

"Wake up...Kiryuin Satsuki!" Ryuko screamed as her blow connected cleanly with all her strength and weight put behind it. The two sister stood facing away from each other, bodies half twisted from the cross-counter. As several moments passed uneventfully, Ryuko gathered enough courage to turn her head to face her older sister, finally able to look at her without repercussion. Pulling her left arm back slightly, shock and a hint of terror made its way to Ryuko face as she saw a thin, pulsing red band around Satsuki's iris.

"It can't be…" Senketsu trailed off in disbelief.

"How is it possible…a life fiber," the short haired girl echoed in tone. "What the hell did they do to her..."

Ryuko didn't have time to think, much less react as the untamed Kiryuin took advantage of her momentary daze. The hand which she caught had pulled back too quick for her to think of letting go. Ryuko's footing destabilised as Satsuki forced her off balance and into her flow. The only thing the shorter girl could see was the world spin as she was forced into a counter-clockwise pirouette which wrapped her own arm around her throat. Instinctively, Ryuko tucked her chin inwards in time as Satsuki changed slipped her hand over her right wrist and began to pull.

As her own arm began to tighten around her neck, Ryuko could feel her strength and resolve being sapped. Although she had managed to get stop herself from being strangled, she was still trapped; being held steadfast against her sister's body. Thirty seconds into the hold, Ryuko stopped resisting, opting to calm herself to conserve her strength. With several more seconds passing, the trapped girl flailed in an attempt to escape the deadly hold only for her captor to shift her weight to tighten her grip; a moment she had been waiting for. As Satsuki shifted her weight back to reinforce her choke hold, Ryuko put her gambit into motion and kicked her feet off the ground, propelling the back of her head to slam against her older sister's throat. Her ambitious manoeuvre was executed in vain as she soon found felt vice grip around her temples.

With her left hand gripped firmly around her opponent's face, Satsuki began to twist her body before doubling back and breaking into a high speed spin with Ryuko in tow. With her augmented strength, she increased her momentum before relinquishing her grip, throwing her younger sibling to the ground as if she were a human discus. Ryuko bounced off the ruined floor with a sickening crunch, leaving a crater of smashed stone from the sheer force of the attack. Only after three more bounces did her body come to a halt, bringing the girl some relief with the agitation of her cracked bones ceasing.

"Stand up, she's coming!" Senketsu warned. "Ryuko! Are you okay?"

"What...do you think?" the Kamui's partner managed to utter in between winces of pain. "First my sister dies and then she comes back to life as some brainwashed monstrosity."

The black clad girl soon raised her arms and tucked her head behind them in preparation for the ongoing onslaught. The oncoming blows from Satsuki changed in style, no longer quick and precise but wound back with overwhelming in power as a response to Ryuko's hardline focus on defence.

"Ryuko, you have to fight..." said the living clothing.

"What the hell do you think I've been trying doing all this time?" replied Ryuko incredulously in between hits.

"You're holding back your attacks."

"Are you kidding me? I'm more than half dying over here! Do you really think I can afford the luxury of holding back?" replied the now hot tempered girl as she scrambled to dodge the overpowering attacks.

"We're losing sync Ryuko," Senketsu called out in near panicked urgency as his vents began to expel a disproportionate amount of heated air from her partner's recent outburst. "You are guarding yourself. You have to lay your feelings bare. The more barriers you begin to put up, the further apart our we become!"

"And why don't you enlighten me on how I've been holding back?" Ryuko bit back venomously, finally breaking into a full retreat.

"Senjin..."

Ryuko's balked from her partner's one word retort; an intellectual checkmate in Senketsu's favour. The thought of using Senketsu's Senjin mode to turn the tide of the fist fight into her favour, let alone escape Satsuki's grapple had never entered her mind until now.

"I see your point," admitted the black clad girl in bitter defeat.

"I know it's hard for you but you have to use me at full power. You have to survive."

"What would you know about how hard it is for me?" Ryuko fired back, half choking on her words. "I know that Satsuki is absurdly strong and I know what might be expected of me. I've hated her ever since I laid eyes on her and even though the way she walks and talks still rubs me the wrong way, there's no way I can kill her!"

At the sound of her declaration, Satsuki had managed to catch up with her target and began another high powered assault. As the one sided exchange continued, Ryuko continued to vent in between blows. "Satsuki's saved my life plenty of times despite the bad blood between us, despite knowing that I hated her, despite that even after all this was over, we couldn't just move in and continue living like a family like she would have wanted. When I saw her alive again, I felt like I had a second chance to make it up to her! Even though she's like this, how could I possibly think of killing her? How could I, when I want her to live so much!"

As Ryuko ended conveying her feelings to Senketsu, another strong kick from her sister broke through her guard once more sending her reeling to the floor. Her arms were heavily bruised to the point that even her life fiber enhanced constitution could not regenerate the damage done fast enough. With her strength drained, Ryuko stood as quickly as she could to run, only to slip and fall ungraciously to the floor beneath her. Exhausted with a defeated will and a disparity between their desires, the Life Fiber Synchronisation ended. Rolling herself onto her back, Ryuko saw Satsuki bearing down on her with her fist at the ready.

Tears began to well up in the younger girls eyes as she mentally cursed her lack of resolve and her fate given how the day's events had played out. As Ryuko's vision blurred, she cursed her luck for not allowing her to see her sister's face one last time before she died. Clenching her eyes shut, the pinned girl awaited her fate, hearing the fist fall and make contact. Several moments had passed without an inkling of the sensation of pain. Ryuko opened her eyes, blinking away what tears remained in her eyes as best as she could. She turned her neck to look to her left, finally seeing Satsuki's fist embedded in the floor next to her. Turning her neck to face forward, she witnessed Satsuki slowly looking up to meet her gaze. Her expression was no longer cold, menacing and stoic but the opposite. Her expression was soft, weak even. Looking onward at Ryuko with upturned eyebrows and pleading eyes, Satsuki spoke tenderly.

"Ryuko... End it... Kill me..."

Author's Note

Finally Chapter 2 is done. I've also touched up the ending of Chapter 1 and fixed a glaring issue with one line of dialogue, courtesy to Aloxamax. Sorry if the action scenes are bland. I'm terrible at writing action and I hate doing it with a passion, which is unfortunate because I planned to have the drama (which is what I prefer) happen in the later chapters.

As expected, last week's episode was a fanfic wrecker with Junketsu being torn to bits and with the Original Life Fiber just up and moving. Also, I only just remembered about Shinra Kouketsu which would probably force me to do _another _action packed chapter. FML.

Anyways, please feel free leave a review and/or some critique. It will be very much appreciated. Since I'm at work for the next 7 more days, I probably won't be able to get Chapter 3 out until mid next week.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Satsuki couldn't help but laugh when she thought about it, looking back. It had taken several weeks of being toyed with and 'tortured' for her to come to terms with the implications of her mother's revelation on the day her rebellion failed. While discovering that Ryuko was her long lost sister hadn't been funny in any sense, she had found some humour in it, a result of the cynicism she developed after having to deal with her twisted mother. Ever since her father had revealed the truth about the life fibers, about COVERS and about the death of her baby sister who had never been given a name, Satsuki had chosen to devote her life to revenge. She remembered losing her smile that day; something which Jakuzure was driven to regain out of friendship and loyalty in their childhood years.

For all of Nonon's efforts and loyalty, it was only until the mysterious transfer student entered her life that Satsuki's cold mask had chipped ever so slightly. She could remember it clearly when Ryuko had synchronised with Senketsu for the first time, when they had used her scissor blade's Decapitation Mode for the first time, when she let out a true smile. As she had leant back to evade Ryuko's strike, she had let out a smile, something which had lasted to the end of their fight. Satsuki was happy, certainly not because her opponent was nice, reasonable or cooperative but because she was strong and able to hold her own against an overwhelming adversary. Ryuko had been a knight in shining armour to her, dressed in a black which polarised her own in white. She was a reflection of her true feelings that freely and openly opposed the preaching of her undercover guise.

Despite her feelings towards Ryuko, the bothersome grief she gave her as she rampaged through the school time and time again never led Satsuki to imagine that she was her younger sister. While her father had told her about having a baby sister, she had never known what she would have looked like. As a child, Satsuki had occasionally imagined what her sister would have looked like and how she would have acted if she were alive, to subvert the loneliness that she felt. With the mind of a child, she had always imagined them getting along, talking and having fun with her being the dependable older sister. Her wild imagination had become her refuge, her skyscraper that she had built inside of her mind. In the end, it had turned out that her younger sister she had always dreamed of having was right under her nose all along.

As happy as Satsuki could have been at her mother's revelation, she had begun to feel slightly disheartened after she had helped Ryuko come to her senses on the Naked Soul. Even though she had been reunited with her long lost sibling, the crushing reality had set in. She wasn't the sister Satsuki had dreamed about when she was young, she was her own person. Ryuko had grown up alone, raised herself and it wasn't a surprise that she would hate her, especially after treating her like a pawn. Satsuki wondered if Ryuko had thought the same as her, that if she felt like their destined fate was some kind of bad joke as well. There was no way that they could become close like she had always wanted, even more so now that she was trying killing her.

Ever since she thought that she was about to die, she had been watching entire time. When the light burst forth from her body, she no longer felt like she had control of her body. She had felt the sensation of being stabbed, of the burning in her throat as she coughed up blood, of being stabbed two more times but the feeling of her consciousness slipping away never came. Something had happened to her body without her knowing. All Satsuki could do was watch as the life fibers that had attacked vapourised into thin air from the light before doubling over in pain as she absorbed Junketsu. Again, it had felt like she was trapped in a cage, only capable to watching helplessly. As she watched herself continue to mercilessly pummel her sister, Satsuki felt her resolve quickly diminish as hit after brutal hit landed. The indomitable will that she possessed did nothing to help her regain control of her body. Regardless of her mental commands and her desire to stop, her body kept moving without relent as it went for the kill. Satsuki knew she had been cold, relentless, even cruel in the past; but not like this. As her sister's face became more bloodied and bruised, she couldn't help but focus her mind's eye elsewhere, not wanting to watch any further her own inadvertent cruelty any longer. Mentally distraught and on the verge of despair Satsuki heard her name.

"Wake up...Kiryuin Satsuki!"

As she focused her mind's eye to the call of her name, Satsuki suddenly felt the jarring, aching pain of her younger sister's punch. If it were possible for her to express her emotions, she would have smiled. The sensation of pain that ran through wracked her face was the first thing she could feel since her mental imprisonment. As much as it hurt, the pain was a sign of life; of some form of connection with her body. As the pain slowly began to fade, Satsuki had only just noticed that she had remained standing in the deadlocked position uneventfully. Within the moments she had let her mind wander in curiosity about the short pause in her fight; her body began to move as she found her left arm jerk backwards with phenomenal strength.

Satsuki's was sent mentally reeling, frenetic from the sudden loss of whatever semblance of connection she had with her body. Doubling back, she tried to refocus on the pain, on Ryuko's punch, on how she could fight back so that they could both get out of this predicament alive. Cycling through those thoughts again and again, as minute as the sensation was, she felt her finger twitch. With little time to think, she imagined flailing her left arm about in a wild motion in a primitive attempt to waste the force and energy of her body's sudden movement. The result had brought Ryuko off balance and into a dancer's twirl before bringing her into an awkward choke using her own arm.

As Satsuki felt the smaller girl tuck her chin in on time, she felt a small bit of relief. While forcing Ryuko into a choke hold wasn't what she had intended to do, it was a better than the other alternatives. The choke hold she had put her in was far from perfect. It was flimsy and insecure, forced her involuntary body to brace Ryuko's with her right arm, bringing the fight into a game of patience and submission. Even though Satsuki knew she wasn't consciously controlling her body, she couldn't help but a little embarrassed from the closeness the two girls were currently sharing. Whenever she and Ryuko had touched each other, it was always with fists and kicks. It felt strange being so intimately close, for a submission hold at least.

For a second, Satsuki felt like blood was rushing to her cheeks. At that moment, Ryuko had chosen to try and break free, a decoy movement leading to a crude blow which had landed against her throat. The head butt was weak but against such a soft target, it had sent a clear and powerful sense of agitation throughout her mind. Feeling grounded with the sensation of pain in her throat, Satsuki coaxed her body to abate the desire to strangle Ryuko, opting to throw her off. After grabbing her opponent and breaking into a spin, she felt the connection to her body sever, allowing her body to slam the poor, already beaten girl into the ground at breakneck speed.

Satsuki cursed the misshapen timing. She saw clearly the damage she inflicted onto Ryuko as she bounced off the floor, dealing a severe blow of her determination. Despite her internal struggling to regain control of her body, she couldn't regain the inkling sensations that allowed her to coarse adjust her body's movements. Pain had allowed her some degree of control but it was only temporary. In a rare instance, Satsuki gave into the frustration of her situation. She wanted to vent, she needed to punch something. With an internal cry of frustration, she felt her body wind itself back before releasing a slow, full powered punch that landed squarely against her sister's guard. It was only then that a solution occurred to her, inciting an internal laugh.

Steeling her resolve once more, Satsuki began to focus on the fight and on her survival. The solution to the problem was counter intuitive but she had expected as much from being in such a vexing situation. Surrendering herself to the survival instincts that had seemingly taken over her was the key to manipulating her body; she had to want to fight, she had to survive. As long as Satsuki wanted to strike harder and quickly react to pain to survive, she would gain some control over her body. By conforming to the flow of her body, she soon found herself able influence her attacks with greater consistency. Given her martial prowess, she knew the best way to manipulate her own movements to ensure Ryuko could escape and possibly fight back.

Changing her style, Satsuki fought with wide but strong movements. Her new slew of punches and kicks were now abundant in power by sacrificing the finesse they once had. No longer quick and precise, her new movements were now heavily telegraphed, easy to be read and countered by a calm opponent. As her new onslaught continued though, it became clear that her opponent was far from calm as she broke into a full retreat. It wasn't long until Satsuki saw her sister trip pathetically on nearby rubble. Looming over her, she could see Ryuko's eyes well up with tears as she rolled over to lie on her back. She had heard everything Ryuko had said since her latest pursuit began, from the bitter replies to Senketsu to the feelings she felt towards her.

"_Even though she's like this, how could I possibly think of killing her? How could I, when I want her to live so much!"_

Although she towered over her sister's small body menacingly, the image of seeing her little sister beaten, on the verge of tears and trying her hardest to muffle the soft sobs escaping her lip had crushed Satsuki. The resolve, and whatever hopeful confidence she once had left, disappeared. Seeing Ryuko like this, after hearing everything she had said, had destroyed her mental desire to fight. Satsuki couldn't describe the feelings that were welling up inside her. All she knew was that she wanted to hold Ryuko, to ease her pain, to comfort her, to be with her, to not be separated from her, to tell her that everything will be okay.

"_Ryuko...Ryuko...hear me...please," _Satsuki called out from her mental prison. Sadness gripped her at the realisation of her body refusing the commands issued from her mind. Watching her body move to bring down the final blow, Satsuki finally came to understand what she was feeling; heartbreak. She could feel the pain in her chest, radiating to the two recently closed wounds in her stomach from knowing what she had to do.

"_She has to survive...Ryuko has to survive!"_ were the only thoughts that ran through the older girl's mind as her fist finally made contact. The stinging paining from punching solid rock registered quickly registered in Satsuki's mind, grounding her to her own body once again, allowing some degree of self-control.

"Ryuko..." Satsuki managed to utter out as she moved to make eye contact with the girl underneath her. Wearing a forlorn expression, she continued, "End it... Kill...me..."

Ryuko could only respond in shock, "Sa...Satsuki?"

"Scissor...blade..."

Still half stunned, Ryuko turned her head to her right, mirroring her older sister's movements. When she saw her red scissor blade within arm's reach, she almost couldn't believe it. Thinking back retrospectively, it slowly dawned on her of what had really happened.

"I'm sorry Satsuki...You've been fighting all this time haven't you?" spoke Ryuko softly as she turned back to face Satsuki. Seeing her sister struggle to make a slight nod made the pinned girl cringe in guilt, realising that her older girl had led her to the scissor blade somehow. Ryuko cursed herself, at her weak resolve, for fighting half heartedly.

"Go..."

Hearing the older girl's voice, Ryuko delivered a quick kick to Satsuki's mid-section, knocking her off balance as she dived towards her blade. With her mouth around the tag on her left gauntlet, she clenched her teeth to dislodge the tab. Re-entering life fiber synchronisation mode with Senketsu, Ryuko seamlessly transitioned from her dive into a roll, clasping the handle of her regained weapon, before recovering into a defensive stance with her blade in front of her. As Senketsu looked up, he saw that while the redness in his partner's face remained, the dampness that was present before had all but disappeared; leaving her with a sharp, focused gaze.

"Ryuko…before, I-"

"Forget about it Senketsu. You were right," said Ryuko, cutting off the black Kamui's apology. "I really was fighting half-assed. The entire time, I was moping around like some weakling while Satsuki was doing everything she could to fight whatever's taken a hold of her. Heh, if she could talk, I bet I'd never hear the end of it..."

"Will you be alright Ryuko? With how this will end?"

"It's too late for worry about anything. Satsuki's doing everything she can to keep me alive. If I don't fight...if I don't end it, it'd all have been for nothing," Ryuko replied solemnly, reinforcing her guard. "There's nothing left to do but fight. I'm done feeling guilty."

Losing herself in concentration, Ryuko kept her gaze on Satsuki, patiently watching for the slightest of movements. As the white clad girl stood up, her melded Kamui began to form blades and claws around both of her hands. Without a pause, Satsuki charged towards her target as she drew her right arm back in preparation for a wide, arcing swipe.

"_See it Ryuko!_" Satsuki screamed from within her mental cage. Her plea was answered as she saw Ryuko swing her scissor blade without hesitation. The red blade clashed against her blue claw with a clean, strong stroke that wrenched her arm backwards, sending her off balance once more. Pain surged through Satsuki's mind as she felt her arm on the brink of being torn off from her shoulders. Without delay, Ryuko took advantage of her sister's loss of balance and took a side step to position herself behind her opponent. Opting to play it safe and widen the distance between them for now, the flanking girl delivered a fast kick, driving her heel into the base of Satsuki's spine.

The sensation of the blunt heel had done little but stagger the larger girl slightly, betraying the profound effect on her semi-sealed sense of consciousness. Inside, Satsuki was reeling from the sharp spike of pain that seemed to drain the will that kept her aware of what her body was doing. Ignoring the effects of the pain she felt, she altered her movements again. The next attack that came Ryuko's way was telegraphed with wide movements again, allowing for a relatively easy parry. As strike after strike came, the small girl quickly ascertained the rhythm of her sister's strikes. The tempo of the strikes was low with wasteful bodily movements that made each subsequent strike more draining. Keeping her calm, Ryuko kept parrying and evading attacks, throwing the occasional counter between intervals to reset the pace and sap Satsuki's strength further.

"Ryuko, we have to strike now," urged Senketsu.

"Not yet," replied the girl coldly.

Finally hearing laboured breaths from her opponent, signalling the time to counter, Ryuko took a deep breath to calm her nerves. With Satsuki's next left hook easily readable, she crouched low and took a small lunge forward. Scissor blade in hand, the short haired girl thrust her arms outwards, driving the blade through the older girl's stomach. As Senketsu closed his eye to pay his respects to the older girl's sacrifice, Ryuko bit her quivering lip, having heard the sound of thick droplets hitting the floor. Time seemed to stop for everyone. As several more moments passed, the black Kamui began to feel something strange from the uncomfortable silence. Upon opening his eye, it immediately widened in shock.

"Ryuko! Move!"

Ryuko could only flinch as she heard the warning from Senketsu too late. The girl let out an agonising cry as she felt a sharp, searing pain as Satsuki's Senjin-like claws buried themselves deep into her shoulder. Driven by the immediate danger present, Ryuko gripped her red scissor blade with her able hand and quickly planted her foot against her attacker's body. Pushing hard with her leg, she drove her heel into Satsuki, just above the stuck blade. Grunting in pain, she felt the embedded claw tear through more of her arm as it exited her body. Bearing the pain, Ryuko finally freed herself, her weapon in tow, before breaking into a fast retreat.

Satsuki's body breathed heaved with a heavy rhythm, recovering from the two strikes it had sustained. Despite being unable to look down she could feel her sword wound being to close, albeit slowly but still defying the unique ability of the scissor blade. Even though her body began to heal itself, the pain from Ryuko's last kick remained. Ever since their brief 'conversation,' the pain began to vex her. As she watched her body sprint to chase after Ryuko, Satsuki used the brief moment to think back. The kick to her back, the blow against her throat, the strike that landed on top of her just above her recent stab wound, the aching feeling she had in her chest before; they were connected somehow. The pain she felt at those times was different, unlike the other times when she was punched or stabbed. The pain she felt then reached deep inside her mind, grounding her to her body more than any other strikes but above all else, it endured. Satsuki cut her thoughts short when she realised that she had caught up to Ryuko.

"Dammit! What the hell happened back there?" asked Ryuko out loud to Senketsu, caught on the back foot from another savage swipe from her opponent. "Satsuki should be dead, shouldn't she? No normal human should be able to survive that."

"She shouldn't have. The wound was…" Senketsu trailed off into a pause. Quickly scanning Satsuki, he witnessed the recent wound she had received close fully as her skin stitched itself together. "Lethal…" the Kamui finished, sounding uneasy.

"Huh? What is it?" Ryuko asked, sounding little calmer now that her shoulder had slowly begun to heal. "Did you figure something out?"

"I can't say for sure how it happened, but-"

"What're you thinking Senketsu? Don't sweat the small stuff and just tell me already," interrupted Ryuko as she winced as nicks and cuts began to slip their way through her one-armed guard.

"Satsuki may have fused with Junketsu," said the living cloth with a heavy, yet unsure tone. "Just now, I saw the way her wound stitched itself back up. With Junketsu melting into her body, it must be the only explanation."

Ryuko focused herself on the fight, having been rendered speechless from her partner's explanation. "You have gotta be joking. First Ragyo, then me and now her?"

"I'm afraid I'm not."

"Fine, we'll leave those questions to later. Any idea how to stop Satsuki?"

"With Ragy-"

"No," was Ryuko's quick reply. "I refuse! Satsuki's not gonna die like that bitch!"

"Ryuko, this isn't the time to be irration-" Senketsu began before cutting himself off. "No, you're right. It wouldn't have worked."

"What do you mean?"

"The stab wound you gave Satsuki earlier actually began to heal over the blade. Not even Ragyo or Nui's bodies showed that level of regeneration when in contact with the scissor blade."

"So you're saying she's fused with the life fibers like me but she's somehow different?" questioned Ryuko in between evasive sidesteps and parries. Fewer attacks made it through her defence as her shoulder began to heal.

"Your body was infused with life fibers. While they are the same base constituents, Kamui's and Goku uniforms are artificially made. Merging with an artificial uniform must strain the body in a different way."

"Wait. So how does that make her heal differently? We've sliced through plenty of life fibers and Goku uniforms before and they never stitched themselves up."

"I don't know Ryuko. These are just my thoughts, my own speculation. However, if she is truly fused with Junketsu, with a Kamui, then there must be a banshi. Just like any other uniform, if the banshi is severed-"

"Don't just write her off like another piece of clothing to cut though!" Ryuko fired back emotionally.

"Ryuko. Before, you said that I wasn't something that was made to kill my own kind. I'm not telling you to cut Satsuki down like some bit of cloth, but to sever the ties that bind her. Your sister doesn't deserve to meet her end like Ragyo, but she also doesn't deserve to deal with the fate of killing everyone she worked so hard to protect!"

Ryuko's eyes widened, stunned from her partner's words. As Satsuki's next attack came, she guarded against it using both arms, having recovered somewhat from her injury. With a scowl marking her face, the smaller girl couldn't bring herself to look at her opponent in the eyes as they stood deadlocked once again. Frustration wracked Ryuko's mind as she reflected on Senketsu's words, "_Even after everything she's done and asked me, am I still really this weak?_"

"This will be the last…"

Ryuko looked up, meeting Satsuki's gaze at the sound of her shaky, coarse voice. The words she heard filled her with mixture of relief and nervous dread, signalling the beginning of the end. Before, time felt like it had stopped right before the brink; now, it resumed with along with its consequences. Using all the strength she could muster, Ryuko pushed away with her scissor blade, forcing back her opponent. Taking several more steps backwards, Satsuki widened the gap between her opponent in preparation for a final charge. Using the distance she built for herself, she quickly dashed before taking a mighty leap into the air.

Ryuko had little time to think as she saw Satsuki leap into the air. Setting her mind into overdrive, she began to decipher the location of the supposed banshi. Her eyes snapped wide open at the realisation before bringing her blade to shoulder height, ready to perform one final upward thrust. As she saw Satsuki approach closer, Ryuko waited for the last possible moment. As it came, she took a quick step forward, throwing off the timing of the oncoming attack. Having been evaded, Satsuki ungracefully crashed chest first into the red rending scissor. With the momentum from her leap, she quickly found herself impaled all the way down to the top of the blade handle. As her body came to an abrupt stop, inertia sent her arms over her sister's back. With Satsuki's feet barely touching the floor and her arms hanging limply, her body was devoid of power.

Ryuko clenched her teeth, doing her best to rein in the sadness that began to take over her body. Focusing her gaze over Satsuki's shoulder, she let her guard down knowing the fight finally was over. Thinking back it was obvious where the banshi would most likely be; the human heart. The weight of the sadness fully sunk in for Ryuko as she felt Satsuki's arms tighten around her neck, embracing her ever so slightly. Without a thought, she let go of her scissor blade to tightly wrap her arms around the older girl's waist, returning her embrace. Slowly, she began to lower Satsuki to the floor, allowing her to sit and lean back as comfortably as she could. As she leant back, Ryuko met her sister's gaze for the first time in what she felt like was an eternity.

"Ryuko…" Satsuki whispered softly with a slight smile. "Sorry for taking so long to wake up…"

"Don't be," replied Ryuko as firm as she could. Tears began to flow freely from Ryuko's eyes when she heard the older girl speak freely without sounding strained. "I'm glad to hear your voice again."

"Sorry for being so cold. I wish we could've met in better circumstances."

"Don't be…"

"Ryuko…it's not over yet…"

The younger girl's eyes widened at Satsuki's words. "What do you mean? I did it, didn't I?"

"You haven't cut it completely. The banshi isn't fully severed, just frayed…"

"No…" Ryuko cried meekly. "This…this is just too…too much…"

"I'm sorry Ryuko," the older girl apologised. Reaching out with her hand, Satsuki cupped the crying girl's cheek, wiping away several tears away with her slender thumb. "I'm sorry for everything I've put you through. Maybe it would've been better if we never met."

"Don't…don't say that."

"I shouldn't have asked any more of you."

"Any more what?"

"Forgive me Ryuko, one last time…" Satsuki trailed off. Dropping the hand that had cupped her sister's cheek, she gripped the red scissor blade embedded in her chest. With all the strength she had left, she gave it a hard twist, "…Sen'i soshitsu…"

Ryuko could only watch as the scissor blade twisted. Seeing the light beginning to fade from Satsuki's eyes, she saw the white Kamui that covered the older girl's body begin to melt and fade away into her skin, leaving her naked as the day she was born. Her thoughts scrambled at what had just happened. She had been ready to fight and to survive but she never had to time to think about saying goodbye. Clasping Satsuki's hand, she said anything that came to her mind.

"I'm sorry Satsuki! I'm sorry for everything! I'm sorry for being so uncooperative, for being ungrateful, for hating you, for fighting you for so long. I'm sorry for being such a bad sister!" Ryuko screamed in tears.

"Ryuu…"

"Satsuki! Please…please don't leave me. Please don't die. I love you Satsuki! I'll always will…"

"I…will…ll…w…"

As her last words faded, all Ryuko could do was bury her head in Satsuki's chest and mourn.

Author's Notes:

The last 1500 or so words were actually quite difficult to write. Before, I thought I was quite decent at writing dialogue but I have realised that I am actually pretty mediocre at it. I'm sure if I re-watched Kill La Kill several more times, I could've researched each character's dialogue, tone and nuances much better. That's the price of trying to gun for 1 chapter a week I guess.

So yeah, Satsuki died. If you were hoping for some Ryuko x Satsuki; sorry I guess. But don't worry, there's some silver lining in the next chapter.

Edit: 29/03/14

I kinda messed up a little bit at the end and made Satsuki say too much. Also, for those who haven't noticed, I've changed the story summary to better reflect the setting. Chapter 4 won't be out for another week after which I'll be taking a hiatus on writing.

The the last episode airing, I'll be rethinking my storyboard of Chapter 5.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

It hadn't been long since she had heard Satsuki's final words, words that crushed her spirit and sent her wailing into the older girl's chest. The more Ryuko thought about her sister's final words, the more the sadness gripped her. The words were unfinished, a fact that ate away at her heart. Unable to explain her words, Satsuki had left her to bear the uncertainty of her feelings, of the future all alone. For the first time in such a long time, Ryuko was afraid.

The weeping girl knew she had to move on, as painful as it was. With what strength she had, Ryuko did her best to quieten her heaving sobs as she lifted her head from Satsuki's chest. Blinking past the tears as best as she could, all she could see was red; the colour which dyed her life and seemingly everything around her. She could see the red that pooled around her, feeling the warmth of the blood that lathered her arm and covered part of her face. Not wanting to stare at the blood any longer, Ryuko turned her gaze to face the girl she had held in her arms to the very end. Several more tears began to fall as she noticed the slight smile on Satsuki's tear streaked face. With one arm still cradling her neck, Ryuko used her free arm to gently shut the fallen girl's eyelids, paying her final respects as she did.

Despite what she had told her before she died, Ryuko never had the chance to consolidate her feelings towards Satsuki as a sister, to fully realise the feelings that stemmed from her words and actions. Moving her free hand away from her sister's eyes, she cupped her sister's cheek gently.

"_Satsuki...I wish we had met under better circumstances too,_" thought Ryuko as she delicately moved her thumb to wipe away a tear from Satsuki's face. "_I wonder what it would've been like to live with you, if this craziness hadn't taken a hold of our lives..._"

At her last thought, Ryuko could only wonder how she would've changed if they had stayed together. Would she have turned out better? Would she still have had her rough personality? Would she have been doted on? As her train of thought continued, Ryuko couldn't help but let out a bittersweet smile. Even as her questions continued to swell inside her mind, she knew that there was one thing that would stay the same if things had been different.

"...I'll always love you Satsuki," murmured Ryuko softly with a slight hint of happiness. Without thinking, she lowered her head, feeling a softness against her lips as it brushed Satsuki's. Planting a soft, familial kiss on her lips as she lowered her head further, Ryuko bid her farewell with one final tear. "Goodbye, Onee-chan..."

Having composed herself a little, Ryuko turned to face the grim reality before her. Using her free hand, she began to inch her red blade embedded out of Satsuki's body. Even though she had calmed down a bit, she didn't trust herself to change the size of her scissor blade smoothly. Treating her sister's body like glass, she managed to free the blade. Ryuko winced as more blood began to pour out from Satsuki's wound, spilling over herself and Senketsu.

"Don't you dare drink it," Ryuko warned in a calm, stern voice, devoid of anger.

"I wouldn't dare dream of it."

Ryuko breathed a long sigh of relief, closing her eyes as she did. She hadn't meant to lash out at her partner, especially after remembering what had happened with Maiko. "Sorry Senketsu. I know yo-"

"It's okay Ryuko. You don't have to force yourself to talk," Senketsu interrupted. Even though he wasn't human, he understood why she had spoken out. It was natural to protect the ones you care for and their memories; he had done the same for Ryuko. Even though she appeared strong and calm, deep down, her wounds had yet to begin healing.

Hearing her Kamui's reassuring words, Ryuko felt the guilt from her outburst fade a little. Feeling more level headed, she transformed her red scissor blade into its portable form before pocketing it, breathing a sigh of relief as she noted the roughness of the transformation. Taking a much needed distraction, Ryuko absorbed her surroundings in its entirety. Without the constant danger of being attacked looming over her, she finally noticed that her last fight had led her to an extravagant dining room of sorts. While whatever furniture placed in the room had all been broken and splintered, the room itself was still decorated with grand, alluring windows and flowing drapes.

Having looked down to see Satsuki's bare form, Ryuko walked over to one of drapes hanging from the wall. With a firm tug, she tore away one of the white drapes and began to wrap her sister's body, ensuring that her chest was bound firmly. While clothing was a symbol of their enemy, it somehow felt right to dress Satsuki modestly. She had spent so long fighting, laying herself bare to fight for the world she found beauty in, even after having been tainted by her mother for so long. Covering her only felt right; now that her fight was over, she could finally rest comfortably in the warmth that now enveloped her. Having finished covering the girl she held in her arms, Ryuko began her solemn walk to retrieve Satsuki's half of the scissor blade.

Time seemed to stretch as she walked back to where everything had begun to go awry. The walk seemed long and arduous as she became lost in her thoughts with Satsuki in her arms. What would she do when she found everyone? How could she explain it to them? Would they understand? Time seemed to slow with every step she took, with dread creeping up on her with every passing thought. Senketsu felt sympathy for the poor girl that wore him; first having to deal with the emotions from losing the last of her real family and now dealing with the nerve-wracking pressure of informing the others of Satsuki's death. Looking up, the Kamui watched as Ryuko's expression slowly darkened.

Ryuko didn't want to think anymore. About what to say, what excuses to give, how to justify or how to explain what had happened. Placing one foot after the other, she tried to purge the thoughts that hung over her to no avail. With all the pressure looming over her, Ryuko felt as if she was going to break. Her breath quickened, taking an erratic pace as panic and anxiety gripped her. Instinctively, Ryuko braced herself only to feel Satsuki's body pressing against hers. For reasons unknown, she suddenly felt calmer; soothed almost. Looking down at Satsuki, it looked like she was only sleeping, as if she was still alive. As she continued walking, Ryuko began to wonder why her heart had felt lighter only to quickly realise why. With a slight smile, she thanked her sister silently. Even in death, it was Satsuki's presence, her mere touch that had soothed her. Closing her eyes and tightening her hold, Ryuko could feel almost feel that Satsuki was still alive. Mere moments later, she began to lose herself in a daydream.

"Ryuko-chan!"

Recognising the familiar, bubbly cry, Senketsu froze Ryuko's movements; the jolt waking her from her stupor. With her mind back in the real world, she focused her vision on the horizon to make out Mako's silhouette.

"Ryuko-chan!" yelled Mako again as she came running blindly in her Two-Star Goku Uniform with both arms outstretched. With a sudden leap, the former fight club president dived to greet her best friend with an overenthusiastic hug only to meet the tiled floors of the manor face first as her best friend shifted her body. Repositioning herself after her sidestep, Ryuko continued to walk onward to meet with the rest of the group that came franticly running, following Mako's steps. Listening, she frowned as she heard the spring in everyone's steps along with their elated greetings.

"Ryuko! Matoi-kun! Oi! Ryuko!" everyone yelled one after another. As they reached closer, their optimism died; the glad expressions paling as it turned into shock as they saw Satsuki in Ryuko's arms. While everyone had slowed down, pace for the Elite Four frantically quickened for a different reason; for concern and for answers.

"Satsuki-sama! Satsuki! Satsuki-chan!" yelled Satsuki's elites in unison. Finally reaching Ryuko, four surrounded her, unsure of what to do at the sight of Satsuki's fragile form. To them, she looked as if she was only sleeping, weary and injured from the fight with Ragyo. However, from the look on Ryuko's face, they knew that not everything was as it seemed.

"Matoi, what is Satsuki-sama's condition?" the largest of the Elite Four asked nervously, suddenly regretting his actions.

"What happened back there?" came Sanageyama's crude voice.

"Will she be alright?" echoed Inumuta in concern.

"Is she-"

"She's dead," Ryuko interrupted Nonon, deadpan. Whatever sadness the four close friends kept reserved was quickly brought to the forefront, their strong, stoic masks shattering like brittle glass. Their eyes quickly dampened and remained that way for some. For others, tears freely streamed down their faces for minutes on end. Hearing the four do their best to stifle their sobs only made Ryuko feel worse as she began to settle Satsuki's body on the floor. As her own tears began to fall once more, the she felt a hand overlap hers with gentle and sympathetic touch. Looking to her left, she saw Mako helping her lay Satsuki to rest.

"_Thank you Mako,_" Ryuko thought to herself, regretting her cold response to Mako's greeting.

"It's okay Ryuko-chan," whispered Mako, noticing the apologetic look on her friend's face.

"How is anything okay?" Nonon snapped venomously, her eyes only just beginning to dampen. "Satsuki-chan is dead! How could you let this happen? You were the strongest out of all of us! We entrusted her to you!"

"Ja-Jakuzure!" Inumuta called out, half startled, in concern.

"Shut up Dog!" barked the musician before returning her gaze to Ryuko. "You...you never deserved the respect and attention that Satsuki gave you. Even though you stood at her level, as her equal..."

"Enough Jakuzure!" shouted Gamagoori, bringing a halt to Nonon's verbal onslaught. "We all lost someone important to us today..."

In a matter of seconds, the anger subsided enough for the harsh reality to settle, sending the small girl falling to her knees in tears as her chest heaved with heavy sob. Holding her childhood friend in her arms, Nonon didn't notice that her words were more venomous than first thought. Ryuko stood silently with her eyes downcast, feeling pathetic and ashamed from the scolding she had received. As much as she wanted to retort, to defend herself, she knew she couldn't. She had lost the right to. She was a failure as a human being and, moreover, as a sibling. As baseless as Nonon's words were, she was right.

Ryuko knew she was the strongest out of them all and above all else, she knew she was responsible for Satsuki's death. Looking at Nonon as she cried, Ryuko was only reminded of how weak she was. She had betrayed everyone's expectations, especially Soroi's. She was too crass, too weak to notice Satsuki was in trouble, too weak to fight back and too weak to release her from the life fibers. As she kept watching the small girl mourn the loss of her friend, Ryuko could only see the difference in their strength. Out of Satsuki's Elite Four, she never thought that Nonon would've been the last to cry. Biting her lower lip in frustration, all Ryuko could do was wait for the stinging venom subside. Feeling a large hand on her shoulder, she looked up.

"Come Matoi. Let her have some space," spoke Ira as gently as he could while leading Ryuko away from Satsuki and Nonon, her eyes now downcast. Casting an eye towards the sobbing girl, Inumuta reached out to place a hand reassuringly onto Nonon's shoulder only to be stopped halfway by Sanageyama.

"Let her be Hoka," said Uzu quietly, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Give her time."

Turning his head away from Jakuzure, Inumuta nodded in agreement before joining Ryuko and Gamagoori with his companion. The mood between the four was tense; at least, it felt that way for Ryuko. She didn't have to look at the three elites to feel their gaze boring their way to her core. Everyone had questions. Everyone needed answers. It felt like an inquisition to her, unrelenting and merciless. Even amongst her allies, she felt like they would tear her apart. All alone, she wanted to cry. Noticing the obvious discomfort in Ryuko, the overly large man called out to her as gently as he possible could.

"Matoi," called Gamagoori, still sounding crass. "Don't…take Jakuzure's words to heart. She's known Satsuki-sama far longer than all of us. It is understandable that she is the most hurt out of all of us."

Slowly looking up, Ryuko made eye contact with the three boys around her, finally seeing the soft, concerned expressions they wore. Save for Nonon, their eyes were only visibly damp with fresh red streaks decorating the sides of their faces. While Ryuko knew Gamagoori meant well, she knew from his earlier pause that on some level he agreed with Nonon.

"Thanks," Ryuko lied reluctantly, playing along as best as she could.

"Tell us what happened Ryuko," asked Ira more quietly, keeping outside of earshot of the pink haired musician. Closing her eyes, Ryuko took a deep breath in preparation for the long story.

"Well, we all know what happened after Nui tried to off herself. Iori equipped a squad of Mikisugi's Nudists with anti-freeze agent and managed to pacify her."

"A brilliant streak of luck in all honesty," commented Inumuta. "Who knows what would've happened if everything went to her plan."

"It wasn't that lucky since Ragyo snatched Nui back anyway. After absorbing her, she went for the Original Life Fiber like you all saw. Satsuki and I chased her for god knows how long. Sometime later, we ended up crashing here."

"What happened next? Is Ragyo still alive?" Sanageyama

"Was it Ragyo that killed Satsuki-sama?" bellowed Gama, slowly forgetting the reason why he lead Ryuko away.

"It doesn't matter who killed Satsuki or how she died. We need to focus on who or what could've killed her," the blue haired teen interjected quickly.

"What?!" yelled Gamagoori in a fit rage. "How dare you be so callous Inumuta! Do you not have any loyalty as part of Satsuki-sama's Elite Four or had nothing really changed from back when you were a lonely stray?"

Seeing the visible twitch in Hoka's eyes at Gamagoori's comment, the formerly blinded swordsman set himself between the two to try and defuse the situation. "Hey c'mon! Cool it! No isn't the time to fi-"

"I did it," said Ryuko, just loud enough for the three to hear. "I killed Satsuki..."

Ryuko's words had cut through the three boys, stopping them in their tracks. While Gamagoori and Sanageyama stood in stunned silence, Inumuta let out a heavy sigh, not of sadness but of frustration. "Ah, she said it..."

"Did you know all this time Hoka?" asked Gamagoori half in shock and surprise.

"Yeah, I did. When I saw Nonon with Satsuki earlier, I saw the blood splatter on the drapes. Analysing the shape of the seepage, I determined the rough dimensions of the aperture of Satsuki-sama's wound. Only a scissor blade could inflict such a wide wound."

Turning his head, the overly large man to spot quickly wiping away her tears before returning her gaze to the floor, readying herself to be scorned and blamed further. Gamagoori quickly turned to the black clad girl and bowed, opting to convey his feelings in earnest.

"Forgive me Matoi. It seems that I was the one who was callous. I apologise for being so insensitive to your pain. I apologise as well Hoka. I overstepped my bounds to have questioned your loyalty..."

"Don't mind it Ira. It's been a tough day for all of us."

"How the hell can you three be so calm...after that bitch admitted it..." spat Nonon from afar.

Turning around, Uzu could only watch as the small girl stood before walking fiercely towards the group. Taking long yet fast strides, Nonon closed the distance between herself and the group of four in a seemingly flustered gait. Shoving the spectacled boy out of the way, she wound back her arm and delivered a hard slap across Ryuko's cheek. The three boys winced as they heard the loud snap that sent the taller girl's face to the side. Ryuko stood silently without any thought of retaliation as her left cheek began to swell and redden from the stinging pain. Seeing the stoic look on her face only made Nonon further seethe with anger.

"We Elite Four were Satsuki-sama's spear and shield! We were her limbs, her face. I don't care what you felt or what may have happened. We're nothing without her!"

Turning her head to face the girl that slapped her, Ryuko did her best to hold in her tears. Clenching her fists, she began to endure Jakuzure's sting words once more.

"You were stronger than us, stronger than Satsuki! You should've been able to find a way to save her," Nonon screamed in tears as she leant her head against the taller girl and began to pound her fists against her chest. Ryuko's emotions were amiss as she felt the weak beats from the short girl, not knowing if she should hold her to comfort her or remain stoic. "Now that she's gone, what are we? Satsuki-sama found us...saved us. She said we would all come back alive but now...all we're left with are memories of her. We owed her our lives, we all treasured her...unlike you."

At her last sentence, Nonon pushed herself away to stand alone, making it clear to Ryuko that she didn't need to be comforted. "Ever since you two met, all you ever did was mouth off and butt heads with her at every turn. When she offered to explain everything to you, to take you in, you rejected her. Even when Satsuki-sama went through all the trouble to save you from Junketsu, the only thing on your mind afterwards was to punch her face in. It's no surprise I guess. It's typical of you. You always loved to hate her; that's all you ever did! That's all you ever felt!"

"I loved her..."

"Huh?" Nonon sneered at the girl's quiet reply. Suddenly feeling herself being lifted, the small girl quickly found herself staring into Ryuko's deathly glare.

"I said I loved her!" Ryuko declared with an unusual and resolute clarity in her voice. With a forceful shove, she sent the girl she held to the floor half sprawled. Half panicked and shaken, Nonon shuffled backwards as she saw Ryuko take several strong steps forward, planting her Kamui's stiletto heel firmly into the ground.

"Don't think that you know everything about me! Don't give me this crap about how nice Satsuki was, how she saved you or how you treasured her. Don't you even fucking dare talk about how all you have left to remember her by are the memories you have of her! Of all the fond memories you have of her! At least you had them!"

Nonon sat motionlessly with her mouth agape from Ryuko's fiery words. The seething rage that came from Satsuki's sister had pacified any thought of fighting back from Nonon's mind. She had awoken the sleeping emotions within Ryuko. Deep down, Nonon knew that she was going to reap the consequences of her aggression. As she saw tears beginning to stream down from Ryuko's face, she braced herself for what was to come next.

"You all would've had them...years and years of fond memories as you all worked together. But do you know what memories I have? What fond memories I have of the sister I never knew I had? Nothing. You're right; I was a bitch. All I ever did together with her was fight, even after she saved me."

Ryuko paused, finding the next words beginning to be caught inside her throat. The anger had subsided from her voice. The only thing that remained was honesty, something that she was unaccustomed to. Despite the hot tears that fell, she persevered and continued to convey the feelings that she had been trying to bury.

"Do you know what memory I have of Satsuki where we didn't fight? The only memory I could call fond? It was when she laid there, dying in my arms. It was the only time where we spoke normally, honestly...the only time...when I could admit that I loved her, that I cared for her, that I didn't want her to go. How could you even begin to compare your sadness with mine? We had beaten Ragyo...the fight was supposed to be over. We were supposed to have won, to come back alive and live making new memories together but now? All I'm left with is a memory that I don't want to forget, no matter how much I want to! I loved her... I loved her dammit..."

As Ryuko openly wept and sobbed, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning her head, she to see Mako wearing a genuinely sad and sympathetic expression that overrode her usual silliness. One after another Gamagoori, Sanageyama and Inumuta had lent a reassuring hand on her shoulders. Moved by her speech, they too began to weep openly from their resonating sympathy.

As Nonon watched as they gathered to comfort Ryuko, she felt more numb than betrayed. Moving a hand to her face, her mouth opened in shock as she finally felt the tears that had been sliding down the side of her face for the past several minutes as she listened to Ryuko speak. Casting her gaze to the floor, Nonon felt defeated physically and emotionally. Even though she had lost the war of words and of feelings which she started, it didn't stop her from feeling bitter about it. Slowly gathering herself and standing up, Nonon approached Ryuko with her head tilted downward in a vain attempt to hide the tears she had shed.

"Fine. I get your feelings," Nonon said bitterly, conceding defeat. "But words are just words. If you really do love Satsuki-sama, if you really do care...if you really are her sister, then act like it. Stop moping around and find a way to avenge her."

Looking down at the girl in front of her, Ryuko appreciated Nonon's scrappiness. It was a crude way of showing comfort, a tough form of love, but it suited her just fine. "I will. I'll show you the strength of my resolve; like a skyscraper built inside my mind."

Nonon's gaze shot upward towards Ryuko upon hearing her last sentence. "What?! H-how?" Stunned from the words, she stood silently with her mouth hanging open; her legs beginning to buckle from the strange surge of feelings that stirred within. Moving quickly, Inumuta caught her on the verge of collapse.

"H-hey, Nonon! Hey! Are you alright?" asked the spectacled boy in concern with no response. With a sudden shove, the small girl freed herself from Inumuta before backing away from Ryuko in a mixture of confusion and shock. Scrambling back to where she had come from, Nonon lent over Satsuki and returned to tending to her own grief in private, giving an occasional glance at Ryuko. The pink haired girl's sudden reaction was strange to the remaining three boys and had even managed to put a quizzical look on Ryuko's face. With strangeness on mind, Nonon's last words sparked a question in her mind.

"Wait, avenge? What's going on? What did Nonon mean by revenge?" asked Ryuko while the thought was still fresh in her mind.

"Matoi, what do you remember about Satsuki's death. What exactly happened with your fight with Ragyo?" spoke Gamagoori in an unusual serious yet quiet tone.

"We fought hard against Ragyo and her Life Fiber Domination. After tearing Shinra Kouketsu to bits, we killed Ragyo and then, from out of nowhere, we were attacked. Satsuki froze up; she couldn't move. The life fibers ate away at Ragyo's body and evolved. Satsuki got hit by these gross looking threads. It sapped her strength..."

"Dammit! So they made it here too..." cursed Uzu.

"What do you mean they?"

With a heavy sigh, Inumuta readied himself for his explanation. "We didn't come here just to look for you or back you up. We were running..."

"Running? From what? Don't tell me..."

"The Original Life Fiber isn't dead. When you and Satsuki-sama chased after Ragyo, something happened. Everything around it started to decay. Animals, plants, the remnants of the COVERs, anything organic like the treated wood from the shanty homes were eaten away by life fibers."

"When we saw what was happening to the animals on the shoreline, we began evacuating as many people as we could onboard the Naked Soul," Sanageyama explained further. "Mid-way through its rampage, the Original Life Fiber finally rebuilt itself and started heading towards the mainland. We chased after you with everyone else on the Naked Soul."

"God dammit!" the red streak girl yelled in frustration.

"Instead of using humans as a near infinite fuel source like before, the Original Life Fiber is directly breaking down any organic matter to quickly fuel and repair itself," the computer expert continued. "We believe it is coming to the mainland to eat away all life on earth by itself."

"This...this is so messed up," Ryuko uttered out through clenched teeth, frustrated at how everything made sense on some twisted level. "It must've sensed that Ragyo died somehow and began to act..."

"Given the power of Ragyo's Life Fiber Domination, it wouldn't be a surprise for the Original Life Fiber to be able to communicate with Raygo on some level."

"God dammit! It must've been from the scrap pieces of that god damn ultimate Kamui of hers," Ryuko cursed. Remembering the ambush, Ryuko noticed one glaring bit of information missing which had stopped everything from making sense. "Where is the Original Life Fiber now?"

"It is already on the mainland. It arrived two hours ago," Ira answered with a grimly. Ryuko clenched her jaw. The timing had fit in with the ambush. "When we tried to fight at first, the Life Fiber threads regenerated endlessly, even from scrap and ashes COVERs. When we knew we couldn't win, we made our way to the mainland as fast as we could using our uniforms to power the Naked Soul. We made it here a little before the Original Life Fiber did and began evacuating as many civilians as we could."

"We were really hard pressed back there. We left behind the Two-Stars to take charge of the evacuation. None of us here could fight a monster like that so we went to look for you for help..." piped the green haired teen with shame lightly lacing his voice.

"We honestly didn't know if you and Satsuki-sama were still fighting Ragyo but we were desperate," admitted Inumuta.

With an apologetic bow, the three teens spoke in unison as they tipped their heads forward in a slight bow. "Ryuko, please help us. You are the only hope we have left."

Ryuko could only stare at the three men, taken aback at the sudden level of respect they showed, that she now commanded. Seeing them humbled, Ryuko felt a small jolt of surprise as she felt her hand clutch her chest as if it was trying to clasp a phantom feeling. It wasn't so long ago that she had called them incomprehensible fools. Thinking back to their declaration onboard the Naked Soul, she felt the small spark of warmth grow into an all familiar feeling.

"Thank you. Really...thank you all," said Ryuko gently, appreciative of the support and loyalty from her new group of friends. Taking in a sharp breath, she refocused herself at the matter at hand, shaking off the emotional anxiety she had been carrying. "Alright. Tell me where I need to go."

"The Original Life Fiber should be making its way further inland from the coast," Mikisugi butted in from seemingly out of nowhere. "Communications from the Two-Stars report that civilian have been cleared from its proximity. We don't know where it is exactly but it should be trying to find a concentrated source of organic material."

"The Kiryuin estate is quite isolated and surrounded by lush forest," piped up the computer expert. "With an overhead view, it shouldn't be too hard to find a trail."

"Can't we get a satellite feed of some sort?" questioned the swordsman.

"I don't have my computer here and even if I did, I can't get a signal from here, especially with a majority of the estate communication infrastructure in ruin."

"Calm down," Ryuko calmly ordered. "Getting an overhead shouldn't be a problem. Senketsu Shippu!"

At her command, Senketsu shifted into flight form, sending the red streaked teen into a hover. As the blood fuelled jets whirred to full power, Ryuko heard a scream.

"Matoi! Wait!" bellowed the overgrown blonde. "You aren't seriously going to charge towards the enemy head first are you? What about us?"

"Hey, you guys were the ones that were looking for me for help."

"That doesn't mean you doing everything yourself," yelled Sanageyama from below, trying to make himself heard. Senketsu's jets whirred slower, bringing Ryuko to the ground.

"This...this is something I gotta do...alone if need be," spoke Ryuko solemnly, addressing everyone present. Spotting a small metallic object quickly flying into view, the girl moved her hand to catch it. Opening her palm, she saw another high tech earpiece.

"Another communicator. Keep in touch Matoi," said Inumuta.

"Oi, catch!" came Nonon's voice sharply. Moving her other hand to catch the second object, she felt the all too familiar handle of Satsuki's half of the scissor blade. Turning her head, Ryuko could see a newfound fire burning in the petite girl's eyes. Breathing a small sigh of relief, she inserted her replacement ear piece.

"Please, take care of Satsuki."

"I will."

At full power, Ryuko took off at breakneck speed, soaring into the sky with both scissor blades in hand, just like she had done when she set out to fight Ragyo from the Naked Soul but this time, alone. Watching the trails of red etching itself into the sky, Nonon soon felt the presence of her other friends close by.

"Seems like you're feeling better," commented Sanageyama bluntly, not caring about etiquette once again. Nonon slowly turned towards his voice and cast a deathly glare towards him. Despite her small stature, the sharp look in her eyes made it known to the swordsman that she should not to be trifled with.

"Close your eyes."

Sanageyama recoiled slightly from the bold command with unease beginning to settle in. He knew Nonon was Satsuki's closest friend but it still came as a bit of a surprise how much Satsuki's commandeering personality rubbed off on her. "Wha? What for?"

With a quick grab of his black Three-Star uniform, Nonon pulled Uzu down to her height and slapped her palm over his eyes. "Just shut up and do what you're told for once Monkey!"

With the initial surprise from the sudden movement subsiding, Uzu laughed inwardly. As serious as Nonon was, her hand was nowhere near large enough to cover both of his eyes. Despite her insult and vain attempt to cover his eyes, the sound of Nonon's voice had already convinced him to oblige her request. If there was something he had learned when he sealed his eyesight, it was that sound never lies. Seeing the taller boy's eyelids finally shut, Nonon steered his head to face where she wanted.

"Argh! What the hell? What am I supposed to be doing..." Uzu complained, his neck sore from the sudden movement.

"Just keep quiet. What do you see. Use your third eye!"

The other two boys watched on in curiosity, eyeing any changes in expression on the swordsman's face. Slowly as seconds passed, disbelief had lead Sanageyama's eyes to snap open.

"Uzu! What did you see?" bellowed Gamagoori in nervous anticipation.

"I don't know...but...it's..."

"What did you see Jakuzure..." asked Inumuta inquisitively, putting particular emphasis on the small elite.

"Honestly, I don't know what I saw or heard," replied Nonon, more gently than when she had spoken with Uzu. "But we have our orders. Send for Iori, Soroi and the Mankanshoku family. We'll take care of Satsuki."

Author's Notes:

Hi everyone. Sorry for the huge delay. This chapter has been harder to write than I thought. A lot of you should have noticed the altered summary which puts this fic as an 'Alternate Ending.' This essentially meant that I had to make my own plot devices to actually make sense which has been a total pain.

However, the main reason for the delay is that I've been tied up with a stressful few months of work but I'll be honest. Now that Kill la Kill has finished, I'm not feeling any pressure to crunch chapters out every week which is killing my drive to write. I've actually had this chapter half done a few days after the season finale aired and I've been lazy with finishing this chapter.

I've also been watching too much Yowamushi Pedal and have gotten too much into cycling to fully focus on this fanfic. However, this doesn't mean that I'll stop writing. It just means that updates are gonna be sparse, especially with ANOTHER action chapter. The next chapter will be the last chapter for a while. I was thinking of exploring alternative endings but we'll see.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and drop a review if you wish.


End file.
